The Loss of a Protector
by tigerlilystar
Summary: Lily has always hated James, right? But on one fateful morning, when she receives news of something dreadful, James is the one that will be there for her. Can the loss of someone dear lead to something more? ONESHOT


**Disclaimer : **_The plot of this story is entirely mine (except for the part with Lily/James, since they're J.K. Rowling's characters) but the characters are not._

**A/N: Hello there! It took me a lot of strength to start writing this, because the memories of those moments… are not the most pleasant of my life. However, I wanted to pay homage to my dog, Nero, who was poisoned. The story happens the same way as it happened in real life, except I was in the caf and I learned the news by cellphone. It was the last day of school, too, but in this story, it happens somewhere in May.**

**I hope you enjoy.**

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'Come on, Lily, you have to loosen up a little!' Dawn said to her best friend who was seated across from her at the Gryffindor table.

The redhead shook her head, a crystalline laugh escaping her lips 'Dawn, honestly, you're starting to sound more and more like Sirius!'

'Well…' the blonde witch stuttered as her gaze went involuntarily to the other end of the table, where the Marauders – a.k.a. James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew – were eating and goofing around.

'Really, Dawn, you should just ask him—' the green-eyed witch was cut off by the sudden arrival of the owls. Weirdly enough, there weren't as many this morning as any other.

Lily raised an eyebrow as a dark black owl with golden eyes landed in front of her, an envelope in its beak.

'_I don't usually get mail… And aren't Mom and Dad supposed to be somewhere in Italy?'_ the witch wondered.

'Hey there, Becky,' she caressed the owl on the head, gave it a snack and watched as it flew away, leaving the envelope behind.

'Who's that from?' Dawn asked, while taking a bite of the muffin held in her hand. 'I thought your parents were in Italy?'

Lily turned the envelope over, and said 'They are. Seems they wrote all the way from there.'

'Probably to ask you what you wanted them to bring you: cheese or pizza?' Dawn laughed, soon followed by Lily.

It was true, tough. Lily's parents mostly bought jewelry and clothes for Petunia, Lily's older sister, while for the redhead they brought back souvenirs and… food. Not that Lily usually ate that much.

Still chuckling, Lily opened the envelope carefully. A letter fell out of it. As Lily picked it up and unfolded it, she recognized her mother's neat writing. But little did she know, what her mother had to tell her had nothing to do with food. Those words… Lily would remember them forever.

Her face went pale as that of a ghost as the words sunk in. Unknownst to her, a pair of hazel eyes was watching from the other end of the Gryffindor table, his food forgotten.

'James, mate, are you listening?' Sirius nudged his friend.

'Shut it for a second, Sirius… Something's not right.' James frowned as Lily's face went pale, her gaze now fixed on the letter.

Sirius arched an eyebrow and followed his friend's gaze. Unsurprisingly enough, it landed on Lily Evans. Rolling his eyes, Sirius was about to turn back to Remus and Peter, when something caught his eye.

A tear. At the corner of Lily Evans' eye.

'_That's odd… Lilikins never cries,' _he mused over.

'James… I think.. Is Lily… _crying_?' Sirius asked, as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

James was already up and started to walk over to the other end of the table. Dawn's words flew to his ears 'Lily! Lily, are you all right?'

Without as much as a second glance to her, Lily stood up from the bench and threw the letter on the table, as if she wanted it to get away as much as possible. Her fists clenched, she yelled 'I'm going to kill her!' and then ran out of the Great Hall, leaving the letter floating behind until it landed near James' foot.

Coolly, his face inscrutable, he bent over and picked the letter, ignoring the pair of eyes fixed on him. His eyes scanned the piece of paper quickly, then he started reading.

'_Dear Lily,_

_Your father and I are still in Italy, having a marvelous time here. Petunia phoned us yesterday, tough, with some bad news._

_I am sorry to announce something dreadful. That beloved dog of yours, Rex, died last night. Petunia found him outside –chained, so as not to disturb your dear sister – with drool at the corners of his mouth. Someone must've poisoned him. Petunia was kind enough to call over the garbage people and they took him away._

_In any case, my dear, don't be too sad. Think of it this way: 1 lost, 10 won over in his place. I'll see you in summer, dear._

_Love,_

_Your Mother.'_

James' head remained bent for a few more seconds after he had finished reading the letter. He was filled with a sense of hopelessness.

He knew that Rex was Lily's pride and joy. Having lived near the redhead for all his life, he had seen her playing with him, talking to him, confessing him her fears and joys. He had seen how her eyes shone when they lay in the grass together and how she loved the dog.

He sighed and passed the letter to Dawn, who quickly read it. 'Oh, no! Now wonder Lily's feeling sad.' She raised her blue eyes to James. 'What can we do, James?'

'You stay here,' he said in an authoritative tone. 'I'll take care of her. Make sure the guys don't follow me.'

As Dawn nodded, James turned his back to her and in 5 quick steps, had reached the huge oak doors and followed Lily outside.

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_There comes a time  
When you face the toughest of fights_

Lily ran away from the Great Hall, away from the letter, fast as she could. If only she could keep running, those dreadful news would never catch up to her.

'_It's not true. This is just a prank. Petunia is doing this to annoy me. It's not true… He can't be gone. He can't…'_

_Searching for a sign  
Lost in the darkest of nights  
_

Panting, she blocked all thoughts from her mind, but couldn't stop the memories overwhelming her. Her and Rex, playing in the field. Rex chasing James on the baseball pitch. Rex pleading for yet another bath…

Lily turned a corner and leaned against the wall, before sliding to the ground. That was when the tears came, cascading on her cheeks like rivers of diamonds.

'You can't be gone… You're supposed to be here forever… No, Rex…' she started sobbing as the sadness overflowed her, too huge to be ignored.

Lily felt as if her heart was shattered, as if her dreams were blown away by the wind. Her childhood… nothing was left. Only the sadness.

_The wind blows so cold  
Standing alone  
Before the battle's begun_

That's how James found her. She didn't know who it was, her tears obscuring her vision. She let him grab her in his arms and cried on his shoulder as he whispered soothing words in her ear.

An eternity seemed to have passed before the tears slowed down a bit. Lily raised her head just a bit, and finally recognized the voice. 'James?' she asked weakly.

She could feel him nod 'Yes. Lily, don't push me away… You need to cry… Just let go. After that, I'll go away, but please let me be here for you.'

Tears streamed down her cheeks again, and the sobs resumed. 'How can he be gone… It's impossible.' A bitter laugh escaped her. 'But I don't expect you to understand, James. No one ever will. They'll all tell me the same thing: 1 lost, 10 won over.'

_But deep in your soul  
The future unfolds  
As bright as the rays of the sun_

'Of course I understand, Lily. Before we became enemies, before you started to hate me… Remember all those times we used to play together with Rex? Even after we came to Hogwarts and this war between us started, I used to spy on you and… He was your friend, the brother you never had but always wished for… He was more than that, too. He was your protector, Lily.'

She pushed away from him, her eyes dark with confusion 'How can you… How do you know all this?' she whispered.

'Because I was there, too. I wanted to be your friend, but you pushed me away. I'm sorry, Lily. For all the times I've hurt you.'

_You've got to believe  
In the power of love  
You've got to believe  
In the power of love  
The power of love_

Lily bit her lip and managed a small smile 'It's ok, James.' She looked away from him, then the tears fell again, more powerful than before. 'How am I going to manage without him, James? I can't… Damn Petunia! I hate her with all my might!'

James frowned 'Why? What does she has to do with this?'

Lily turned back to him and said 'She killed him. She was always jealous and… Oh, Merlin, how could I have been so stupid! I knew she always kept him chained while I was away and… And he died like a beast, James! He didn't deserve that!'

_Blazing emotion  
There's a light that flows from your heart  
It's a chain reaction  
And nothing will keep us apart_

Lily was shaking with anger, and James wrapped his arms around her again 'It's ok, Lily. I can't promise everything will be fine instantly, but in time… I'll be here for you. I swear I will.'

She leaned against him and let him hold onto her protectively. She felt secure in his arms, like nothing could hurt her there.

_Stand by my side  
There's nothing to hide  
Together we'll fight to the end_

'_Oh, Rex…' _Lily whimpered. _'How can I live on without you? You were my center, you… You were there for me…always.'_

As she shyly wrapped her own arms around James, she could've sworn she heard a voice… Rex… 'You don't need me, anymore, Lily. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, but James will be there for you. Open your heart to him… He's worth it.'

Tears fell once again on her face and she whispered 'Rex…' James' grip around her tightened. And that's when Lily realized why she felt so secure in his arms: because his love for her and her own love for him radiated so strongly… Together, they were like a barrier.

_Take hold of my hand  
And you'll understand  
What it truly means to be friends_

She pulled away from him for a second, and bore her eyes into his. 'James… Can you feel this?'

He grinned down at her, his eyes filled with his love for her 'I always have.'

He slowly leaned in, his hazel eyes asking her for permission. Lily gave it and their lips touched in a blissful kiss.

_You've got to believe (you've got to believe)  
In the power of love  
You've got to believe (you've got to believe)  
In the power of love_

When they both pulled apart, Lily smiled up at him through her tears 'Thank you. For being here with me…'

She rested her head against his chest, and let the beating of his heart calm her. Rex was gone… Forever. She knew she would never see him again, not as long as she lived. She was sad that he had died as he had, and even more that she wasn't there with him. But as James' heart beating mingled with her own, Lily understood.

_It gives meaning to each moment  
It's what our hearts are all made of  
You've got to believe, in the power of love  
In the power of love  
In the power of love_

Rex had been there for her at a time when she needed him. They had always had a connection, and she could tell him anything. He advised her, he was her protector. She was sure, no matter what, that he would have never left her alone. Instead, he had left her with something way more important. He had given her a treasure she would cherish forever.

A treasure she had never until then knew existed… Love.

_You've got to believe (you've got to believe)  
In the power of love  
You've got to believe (you've got to believe)  
In the power of love_

'Thank you, Rex.' She whispered into James' chest. She knew he had heard her, and that he understood. He always had.

As she realized the immense power of Rex's legacy to her, she also realized another thing: it was time for her to leave.

She slowly pushed James away, and when he gave her a questioning look, said 'I have to… Ask you a favor.' James nodded for her to go on, so she said 'James, can I… for this summer, come to your house?'

It didn't take him long to say 'Of course, Lils.'

_You've got to believe (you've got to believe)  
In the power of love_

Lily gave him a grateful look, and said 'It's just… I don't want to go back there. Never again. Mom and Dad won't miss me, and Petunia sure as hell won't. I don't see any reason why I should return there.'

James nodded and stood up 'I understand, and you've always been welcomed at my house.'

'It won't be for long. I'll find a job and move into a flat, but until then…'

_It gives meaning to each moment  
It's what our hearts are all made of_

James gave her a dazzling smile and held his hand for her to take, then pulled Lily up to her feet. She stumbled a little and fell into him, and he grinned wider.

Hand in hand, they walked away from their past to their future, knowing about Rex's legacy and intending to use it for good.

_You've got to believe, in the power of love  
In the power of love  
In the power of love  
In the power of love_

THE END

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_Wow… I never thought it would get this much out of me to write it. I hope it touched your heart in some way. The song is from Sailormoon _'You've got to believe in the power of love'.

_Review if you wish._

_Tigerlilystar_


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